Construction toy



June 10, 1930. c, GlLBERT 1,763,302

CONSTRUCTION TOY Filed July 14, 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 0 I V I Patented June 10, 1930 rreeir ALFRED C. GILBERT, OF HAMDEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS,

TO THE A. C. GILBERT COMPANY, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF MARYLAND CONSTRUCTION TOY Application filed July 14,

This invention relates to construction toys, and more especially to a motor driven toy the parts of which may be detachably secured together in such a manner that they are readily assembled and disassembled.

The elements from which toys of this character are constructed are usually sold in sets, the set containing a number of different parts from which a great many different models may be constructed. In the present instance, the invention is particularly concerned with the provision in such a set of an electric motor, and a number of elements, such as base and side plates and the like, to which the motor may be attached and within which shafts or other operating mechanism may be mounted and connected with the motor. It is, of course, advantageous to have the parts so arranged that a number of different toys may be made by various arrangements of the parts, and in this instance, the motor is so constructed that it may be connected with certain of the other elements in various relations.

One object of my invention is to provide certain new and improved toy elements, adapted to be readily attached together and to have a motor attached thereto.

Another object of my invention is the provision of an electric motor adapted to be associated with certain toy construction elements in a number of different relations.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a base plate and a motor adapted to be attached thereto in either of two positions, in one of which the motor shaft stands at right angles to the direction assumed in the other position.

A still further object of the invention is to provide'a base plate and a motor structure adapted to be attached thereto in such a manner that the motor may not only be adjusted lengthwise of the plate, but may be attached in any one of four angular positions.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a base plate and a motor, the motor frame and plate being provided with registering perforations whereby the motor may be attached to the base plate and the openings of the motor frame being substantially at the 1927. Serial No. 207,010.

vertices of a square whereby the motor frame sists in the novel features and combinations of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. l is a sideelevational View of a toy, emboding the features of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the base plate;

Fig. a is a view similar to Fig. 1, showing the motor in a different position with respect to the other parts of the toy;

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the part shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a View showing a modified form of motor and motor support;

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the motor support, employed in the construction shown in Fig. 6.

To illustrate a preferred embodiment of my invention, I have shown in Fig. 1 a base plate 10 of rectangular shape, having side flanges 11 and 12. As shown in Fig. 3, the plate 10 is provided with longitudinal slots 13, 1 1, 15 and 16, adajacent its edges and with a row of perforations 17 arranged substantially centrally thereof. To the side flanges 11 and 12 of the base plate 10 are secured side plates 18 and 19 by means of the bolts or screws 20 and 21, which pass through certain of the perforations 22 in the side plates and certain of the perforations 23 in the flanges 11 and 12. It may be stated at this time, that each of the side plates is provided with a number of perforations 22, and that the flanges 11 and 12 are each provided with a row of perforations 23, which are equally spaced from each other, and the spacing of the perforations 23 coincides in most instances with those on the side plates 18 and 19.

In the case of the particular toy shown in the drawing. shafts 2 1, 25 and 26 are passed through perforations in the plates 18 and 19 and secured in place by means of collars 28, through which the shafts pass and which are secured on the shafts by set screws 29. The shaft 26 has mounted thereon some mechanism designed to be operated by a motor, such as a winding drum 30. This shaftis also provided with a gear 31, connected to the shaft 24 by the reducing gears 32, 33 and 34. It will be understood that the collars 28 adjacent these gears are rigidly fixed thereto to serve as gear hubs to secure the gears to the shafts. The two side plates 18 and 19 may be connccted rigidly at their forward ends by means of a strip 35, having its ends turned at right angles to the body portion thereof, to be se cured to the plates by the bolts 36 and 37.

On the shaft 24 is secured a gear 40, adapted to mesh with a worm 41 secured to the shaft 42 of an electric motor 43. The motor mechanism is mounted between and secured to a pair of side plates 44 and 45, through which both ends of the motor shaft 42 pro- 'ect. At the lower ends of plates 44 and are lugs or feet 46, having slots 47 therein, one being provided at each of the lower corners of the side plates, making four in all. These lugs are so spaced that the slots 47 therein are substantially equidistant from each other both in a direction parallel to the motor shaft and in a direction at right angles to the motor shaft, the advantage of which will presently appear.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the motor may be detachably secured to the base plate 10, by bolts 48 passing through the slots 47 and through the slots 13, 14, 15 and 16 of the base plate. It will be apparent that owing to the provision of the elongated slots, the motor may be adjusted lengthwise of the plate 10, so that the worm 41 may correctly register with the gear 40, whether its shaft is mounted in the particular position shown in the drawings with reference to the plates 18 and 19, or in some other of the openings 22. It will also be apparent that the plate 10 may be adjusted with reference to the side plates 18 and 1S), owing to the fact that the openings 22 through which the bolts 20 are passed will register with any two adjacent openings 23 in the flanges l1 and 12. Likewise, other openings 22 in the side plates will register with the openings in the flanges 11 and 12 of the base plate or with the openings 17 arranged centrally of the body of the base plate. so that the side plates may be used with and detachably secured to the base plate in a variety of ways. Moreover, it will also be noted that the motor may be turned through an angle of 180 and connected with the base plate in such position, and a drive gear placed on the other end of the shaft 42 to drive the moving parts of the toy.

In Figs. 4 and 5 of the drawings I have shown substantially the same elements arranged in a somewhat different position. For instance, the base plate .10 has been shifted which receive the shafts in the construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2. In this instance, the shaft 26 is likewise provided with a winding drum 30, and a gear 31, connected with the shaft 24 by reducing gears 32, 33 and 34.

In this instance, the shaft 24 is provided with a driving gear adjacent one end thereof, which is in mesh With a gear 51 secured to an end of the shaft 42 of the motor 43. In this instance, it will be noted that the motor 43 is secured to the base plate 10 in a position at right angles to that shown in Figs. 1 and 2. so that the motor shaft 42 extends across the plate or parallel with the shaft 24. It .will be noted that the slots 47 in the lugs 46 of the plate, register correctly with the elongated slots 13, 14, 15 and 16,- so that the bolts 48 may be passed therethrough to secure the motor in position. Likewise, in this arrangement, the motor may be adjusted longitudinally of the base plate 10. so that the gears 50 and 51 will correctly mesh. It will be noted that the gear 51 is mounted on the end of the motor shaft opposite to that upon which the worm 41 is mounted, thus illustrating the great number of uses to which the motor may be put. For instance, a gear may be mounted upon either end thereof and both ends used to drive the same or different sets of mechanism.

In Fig. 6 of the drawing I have shown a still different arrangement of the base plate 10 and side plates 18 and 19, the latter only being shown in the drawing. In this instance, shafts 55 and 56 are mounted in the side plates having thereon gears 57 and 58, the former of which is in mesh with a gear 59 mounted on the shaft of a motor 60. In this instance, the motor is not provided with the side plates shown in connection with the motor 43, the parts being mounted in a housing of substantially cylindrical shape, as is quite customary with commercial motors now in use. In order that this motor may be attached to the base plate 10 with as great flexibility in respect to adjustment as the motor 43, I have shown the motor body 60 mounted upon the base 61 shown in Fig. 7. The base comprises an upper supporting plate 62, having a central opening 63 through which the wires may pass to the motor and slot 64, through which screws may be passed to secure the support to the motor body. Connected to each end of the part 62 is a leg 65, having slotted lugs or feet 66 and 67 extending laterally therefrom. The feet 66 and 67 are arranged substantially at the vertices of a square, so that the slots therein will correctly register with the slots 13, 14, 15 and 16 of the base plate 10, whether the motor is placed thereon with the shaft extending across the plate or extending longitudi- L'II) nally thereof. That is, the lugs 66 and 67 of the support 61 are substantially the same distance apart as the lugs 46 of the motor 43 and may be secured to the base plate 10 in the same manner.

While I have shown and described some preferred embodiments of my invention, it will be understood that it is not to be limited to all the details shown, but is capable of modification and variation within the spirit of the invention and within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A construction toy comprising a base plate, a pair of side plates secured to the base plate and disposed in planes substantially at right angles to the plane of the base plate, a shaft rotatably mounted in the side plates, a unitary motor structure having its shaft in driving relation with said shaft and extending at right angles thereto, and means for securing the motor structure to the base plate for adjustment toward and from the shaft mounted in the side plates, -and said side plates being perforated to support additional shafts in parallel relation.

2. A construction toy comprising a base plate, side plates secured to the base plate adjacent the side edges thereof and upstanding therefrom, a motor and supporting means therefor, the supporting means and base plate being provided with registering openings where y the motor and base plate may be secured together, and said openings being spaced to register when the motor is set at any one of a plurality of different angular positions with respect to the base plate and side plates.

3. A construction toy comprising a base plate, side plates secured to the base plate adjacent the side edges thereof and upstanding therefrom, a motor and supporting means therefor, the supporting means and base plate being provided with registering openings whereby the motor and base plate may be secured together, said openings being spaced to register when the motor is set at any one of a plurality of different angular positions with respect to the base plate and side plates, and the dimensions of said motor and supporting means being such that they lie within the planes of the side plates in any of the diiferent positions of attachment.

4. A construction toy comprising a base plate, side plates secured to the base plate in parallel upstanding relation ad acent the side edges thereof and extending longitudinally of the base plate, a motor and means independent of the side plates for securing the motor to the base plate with its shaft extending parallel to or at substantially right angles to the planes of the side plates.

5. A construction toy comprising a base plate, a pair of side plates secured thereto in independently of the side plates with its shaft either parallel to or directed at right angles to the shaft in the side plates, and gearing for drivingly connecting said shafts in either position.

6. A construction toy comprising a base h plate, a pair of side plates secured thereto in spaced upstanding relation, a shaft extending between and mounted in openings in the side plates, a motor structure and means for securing the motor structure to the base plate independently of the side plates with its shaft either parallel to or directed at right angles to the shaft in the side plates, and gearing for drivingly connecting said shafts in either position, the dimensions of said motor being such that it lies between the planes of the side plates in either position of attachment.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 11th day of July, 1927.

ALFRED C. GILBERT. 

